Chennai, April 15 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday announced the formation of a high-level committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Kurian Joseph to study and recommend measures to strengthen Centre-State relations, including the proposal to return education to the State List of the Constitution. Making the announcement in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, CM Stalin said the committee would submit its interim report by January 2026 and a final report within two years. The three-member panel will also include former IAS officer Ashok Vardhan Shetty and Professor Naganathan, the former Deputy Chairman of the State Planning Commission.The committee will undertake a comprehensive review of the Indian Constitution and previous recommendations made by various expert panels on Centre-State dynamics -- beginning with the Rajamannar Committee Report of 1971 to the M.M. Punchhi Commission report of 2004. Stating that Tamil Nadu has historically been at the forefront of defending constitutional values and federal principles, CM Stalin said the committee's work will not only serve the state but also benefit all states -- from Gujarat to the Northeast and from Kashmir to Kerala.

The Chief Minister cited the views of Dr R. Ambedkar and the US Constitution framer James Madison to stress the importance of robust federalism and the need for strong, autonomous state governments within a unified national framework. The move is particularly significant given the ongoing friction between the DMK-led state government and the BJP-led Central government -- especially over contentious issues like the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), which the Tamil Nadu government has consistently opposed. It also follows recent tensions between the Chief Minister and Governor R.N. Ravi, who was recently admonished by the Supreme Court for unduly delaying his assent to several state bills -- some of which had been pending for over five years. Among them were 10 crucial university-related legislations, which were eventually deemed to have received assent under the Constitutional provisions after a recent Supreme Court ruling.

/IANS